Vulture
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Vultures are scavenging birds, feeding mostly from carcasses of dead animals. Vultures are found in almost every continent.
A particular characteristic of many vultures is a bald head, devoid of feathers. This is likely because a feathered head would become spattered with blood and other fluids, and thus be difficult to keep clean.
Vultures fall into two groups. The Old World vultures belong to the family Accipitridae, which also includes eagles, Kites, buzzards and hawks. These are found in Africa, Asia and Europe. They find carcasses exclusively by sight.
New World vultures and condors are not at all closely related to the superficially similar Accipitridae, but belong in the family Cathartidae. They have a good sense of smell, unusual for raptors.
The similarities between the two groups are due to convergent evolution rather than a close relationship.
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Vultures in culture
Ancient Egypt
In Southern Africa, the name for a Nubian Vulture is synonymous with the term applied to lovers, because these vultures are always seen in pairs, mother and child remaining closely bonded together. Pairing, bonding, protecting, and loving are essential attributes associated with a vulture. Because of its immense size and its ability to soar high up in the sky, the vulture was thought to be close to the gods who resided in the sky. The Egyptians considered the vulture to be an excellent mother, and its wide wingspan was seen as all-encompassing and providing a protective cover to its infants. The vulture hieroglyphic was used in words such as mother, prosperous, grandmother, and ruler.
Western culture
In contrast to the Egyptian image, vultures (like many other birds of prey) have often been considered repulsive in Western culture, due to their association with death. Sensationalistic journalists looking for news about bloody crimes are sometimes called "vultures". Financial investors who look for indebted companies or countries to buy securities at low prices are known as vulture funds.
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